Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-04


Every Conceivable Variety of Holiday
Vares-Curious HIementoes.
The night of Oct. 81, known in the
states IS Halloween, or Holly Eve" IS OBJ
served here with d universally that is not to
be met with in our own country and in q
very different fashion. 1t fell this year on
Sunday, and about p III. on that day L
found myself mingled with Q crowd OF peo-
pie who ue:c pouring along the Gale dc San
Francisco into the Tiaza Iayor, within
whose elegant zocolo a fine military band was
sending forth strains of delicious music.
Both the Plaza Mayor and the Plaza de Ia
Constitution presented a most brilliant
sight. They had been converted into o tenn
porary fair ground crowded with inrunler-
able booths, within which were displayed, by
the light OF hundreds OF tallow candles,
around which shades OF white paper had been
placed to increase their power, every con-
ceivablo variety Of holiday wares. Nuts,
raisins, oranges, figs, tortiilas, bananas, can
dies, pulque, cakes, toys, hot sausages and
notions were visible in endless profusion.
There arc occasions when appetite, which IS
common to both clowns and gentlemen, is
strangely tempted by such ministry and dis
"modo" and point OF honor-sadly misplaced
by both seIes-whi2)ar forbearance moro
than one lechugino (anglice dude and delicate
senoTita would be seen devCuring, with
hearty relish, morsels intended for the moro
homcly mouths of poems. Troops OF young
brats, trusting to their legs and lungs TO pro-
cure them customers, go winding through the
crowd, offering circles Of flour paste fried in
OIL which are held upon long lath, held by
the middle to prevent them from breaking.
1t is surprising to see how rapidly the laths
are easod OF their burden and the brittle fry
consumed The kitchen is not far OF, and
two cooks in their shirt sleeves are busily
engaged in producing fresh supplies. One Of
these Keeps large iron pan over stand Of
charcoal, where it fries and misses most in
willingly, while the other, seated before YES
SCI filled with water and pan containing tie
GOur paste, folms the cake in a moment and
draws it out into a hollow ring. Thence he
filings it into the bubbling oil, where it browns
ard swells into n crisp mouthful.
CURIOUS MES;ENToEs.
Bet in all this heterogeneous collection Of
wares what strikes foreigner as strangcst
Of all are the numerous quaint articles dc
signed to be purchased as souvenirs Of the
occasion. Students Of old English customs
have heard OF soul cakes, q sort OF bun which
goOd-nctured people used to prepare in large
numbers 10 give to children who went about
from house TO house on Halloween singing q
song and demanding the "soul cake" as re-
ward, but the booths in the Plaza Mayor on
Sunday night displayed soul cakes which, for
appropriateness and elaborate design far
surpassed the Halloween buns OF Old Eng
land. They consisted Of three layers Of cake
SO placed IS to form three steps, covered with !
white icing, and leading up TO chocolate !
cross at the extremity of the topmost layer |
or step.
Upon each of the other layers there was
some design in chocolate intended to remind |
the purchaser of the solemn occasion the cake |
was meant TO commemorate, such as skulls, !
bones and collins. CatafalcocS made of wood |
and painted black, from six inches to two |
and half feet in height and from three !
inches to two feet square, were also highly !
popular article of merchandise. Some of |
them consisted of several platforms rising |
one above the other, deliberately draped with |
black cloth and emblazoned in gilt with |!
crosses, skulls, bones and collins. There |
were skeletons of every imaginable size and |
material upon the counter Of every booth, |
some OF them poor, cheap affairs of paper, |
many Of candy and others deliberately con
structed of wood and jointed so that the pull
ing of string would cause them to dance
and caper in a weirdly comical way. Soma
Of them were Enthusiastically dressed like ballet
dancers and were surrounded by groups of
candy skulls
EVERYBODY BUYS THEM.
All classes seem TO have turned out en-
masSo To purchase these mementoes of tho
time. Men and women of the highest wealth
and culture, accompanied by groups Of beau